Category Archives: Time Savers

Anyone who loved the first season of Stranger Things knows that Season Two was released on Netflix today! I’ve been reminded of this about 3 times a week for several weeks now by my son, who watched the first season at least 10 times. So what is the only rational thing to do on an occasion such as this? Throw a last minute binge party!

Being last minute means not a lot of time to prepare, create, sew, draw, etc. And the point is that you are watching the actual SHOW, not spending hours preparing for a typical social event. So for this, let’s stick with the bare bones ideas: snacks, drinks and a comfy place to watch the show for several hours.

SNACKS:

Ok folks let’s get real. This is no time learn how to make – or hire a professional cookie maker to create – wonderful treats like these no matter how awesome they are:

These are great, but mine would look like a hot mess or cost me $400 to have made. MOVING ON! (PS: Will happily give credit to whoever created these but I can’t find original source)

So what will you serve your fellow Stranger Things Fanatics? A quick trip to the store can net plenty of great snacks that were available back in the last 1970s-early 1980s, so stick with those! Starting with:

EGGOS, of course! Create a waffle bar, where people can toast up some Eggos and create their own fun treats! Topping could include:

chocolate chips

berries

whipped cream/Cool Whip

peanut butter

caramel syrup

ice cream

sprinkles

But check it out, even Eggo is getting into the Stranger Things action, go to their website and download a 1984 label you can put on a modern box!

Of course one cannot live on Eggos alone, so you could also grab some:

Pop Rocks

Twinkies

Devil Dogs

Jello Pudding Pops

pretzels

Doritos!

DRINKS:

Of course you have to have drinks you can get today that were around in the early 80s, but if you can grab a couple of pitchers (Tupperware pitchers get bonus points!), then fill them with Hi-C fruit drinks (add vodka or rum to make them even better!) – if you’re feeling creative, do something like this:

Love this! Also can’t find who to credit for this idea either, but they rock!

If you want some sodas, pick up some:

TAB (classic!)

7-Up

Coke

Pepsi… if you can find any “Crystal” versions, I bow to you!

(add vodka or rum to make your sodas even better!)

DECORATIONS:

Now is not the time for overly fancy decorations, but if you want a quick and easy project that shouldn’t take too long, just do this:

From the store: grab a huge black Sharpie marker, a plain white shower curtain or plastic table cloth and a set of Christmas lights (if you don’t already have some at home, you KNOW the stores are already putting that stuff out)

At home: Tape the curtain to your wall and string up the lights in 3 rows. Then under each light, draw out each letter, like so:

Bonus points for finding a shower curtain that matches her wallpaper!

THAT’S IT! That’s all you need to make a great party with minimal effort and maximum fun while you watch the new season with your best mates. Now… RUN!

New homeowners sometimes walk in only to realize they might not have picked up the simple skills to fix or upgrade things and end up wasting money hiring a professional. Here’s a quick tip that will help you out!

Do you want to change out a light switch or electrical outlet?

The first step is to figure out which breaker to flip to turn off electricity to that switch/outlet or you risk getting an electric shock or worse!

This is our breaker box – if you’re lucky, a lot of the switches have already been labeled, however, you’ll obviously want to double-check before fiddling with any wires directly.

Method One to test for current: this is the easiest way to make sure you flipped off the power to an outlet or light switch – TRY IT. Plug in a lamp if it’s an empty outlet.

Method Two is even more pro: use a Volt Meter to test it. Volt Meters will tell you if the same set of switches are on different breaker switches. While it’s not common, it does happen. For our most recent project, the very first set of rocker switches we worked with were on at least 2 different breakers. Had we only checked the one switch, we could have been in for a nasty surprise! Volt Meters can be simple or very complex (and expensive!), no need to break the bank though. My husband strongly recommends that you pick up one from the brand Fluke, he finds they are high quality. When you get it, simply follow the directions.

Once you’re sure there’s no electricity a-flowin’, replace the piece you need to, but before you put the cover back on, do this one thing to save yourself some time the next time you need to do some maintenance – get yourself a single roll of white electrical tape to keep with your tools, snip a piece off, and put it on the underside of the cover. Write which breaker goes with that switch/outlet, and you’ll never have to wonder again!

The front of the cover, you can’t see the marker through it.

The back of the cover – I could have just written right on the plastic, but wanted to make it easy to remove if needed.

One of the most important things that so many people have never learned is BUDGETING.

I know, budgeting sounds scary, overwhelming, and restrictive. For some it can make them look like deer in headlights, but trust me, once you get the hang of it, you can find it becomes easy, fast, and even enjoyable!

What is a Budget?

A budget is your estimated income and expenditures for a certain period of time. Essentially: what you get paid and what you have to pay for with that money.

Why do I Need a Budget?

Without a budget, you are more apt to living paycheck-to-paycheck, make late payments, get assessed interest or late fees, and live beyond your means. For many, this means living in a state of anxiety – who wants to live feeling anxious about money all the time???

How do I Make a Budget?

There are MANY ways to make a budget. One of the simplest ways is by gathering bills and paystubs you’ve received in the last month or two, taking a piece of paper and hand-writing in 2 columns what each was. For example:

This is a very simplistic budget that covers a lot of the basic expenses a young adult might see. Obviously individual situations will vary. In this instance, this person is living within their means, with $400 left over at the end of the month. This helps them to cover unexpected expenses, or just get a jump on the next month’s bills.

But I Live in the 21st Century!

There are a lot of budgeting programs out there, and I have tried quite a few, including the Dave Ramsey method (which I liked, but at some point felt got too preachy and judgmental) and Mint (which I found a little too simplistic for what I wanted), but until I found YNAB I just didn’t feel very successful.

YNAB allows you to budget not only from your desktop/laptop, but also lets you do it right from your smartphone! Out at a restaurant? Easily log your cost before you even leave the table. With direct importing from banks there’s no need to go hunting for wayward charges, either!

What is You Need A Budget?

What I found with other programs was that you did a lot more “forecasting” – making estimates of what you will get coming in and going out in the future. This can be nerve-wracking and problematic, especially if you get variable incomes and bills, or you have kids or elderly pets that may need emergency doctor visits, or you get sick and can’t work as many hours if you’re an hourly employee.

YNAB starts by focusing only on what is most important to you and making sure you give your money a job so you can plan ahead. Confused? Here is a quick video that explains the basics:

Are you going to make mistakes? SURE! We all do, but YNAB offers a variety of ways to get the help you need, especially when you’re just starting out – with a free online classes, a vibrant forum and an active Facebook group, you’ll only be a few clicks away from getting the answers or directions you need.

So what are you waiting for? Go use their free, 34-day trial to give it a test run and see how you like it, and let me know if I can help you myself!

Note: this is not a paid post, I use this program myself and love it so much! The annual fee is $50 for this program, which I have saved MANY times over and find it worth every penny, however if you choose to sign up for the program, both you and I will get a free month added to our subscription!